1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to exercise apparatus and more particularly to new and improved arm exercise apparatus.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Arm exercise apparatus has been provided heretofore such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,311 issued to T. J. Mitchell on Feb. 16, 1969. This prior art device does not adequately challenge certain of the arm muscles.
The inside of the forearm includes a group of flexor muscles and the outside of the foremarm includes an extensor, or brachioradialis, group of muscles. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide new and novel arm building apparatus for building arm muscles, particularly forearm muscles.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,717 issued to Lloyd J. Lambert, Jr. on Feb. 15, 1983, discloses a wrist curl machine including a plurality of weights which are vertically moved by a chain and sprocket wheel assembly coupled to a rotatable hand grip. This prior art machine is limited as it will lift the weight in only one direction of handle rotation. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide arm exercise apparatus of the type described including a weight which is vertically moved in response to rotation of a handle, coupled to the weight, when the handle rotates about its axis in either direction.
Various other weight lifting apparatus has been provided heretofore which do not contemplate the instant invention such as that illustrated in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,424, issued to R. V. Barnett on Oct. 25, 1983; U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,862 issued to J. P. Hewitt on Jan. 3, 1984; U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,925 issued to R. W. Kock on Feb. 18, 1986, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,246 issued to A. Salyer on Apr. 14, 1987.
It is another object of the present invention to provide arm exercise apparatus of the type described which includes lift weights that are upwardly displaced in response to rotation of a hand grip in either direction of rotation about its axis.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide arm exercise apparatus of the type described including a new and novel cable and sheeve assembly coupling a rotatable hand grip and a vertically moveable lift weight.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide arm exercise apparatus of the type described including a pair of cables for alternately vertically moving a lift weight when the handle is alternately rotated in opposite directions and mechanism for maintaining each of the cables taut when the other of the cables is vertically moving the lift weight.
Another object of the present invention is to provide arm exercise apparatus of the type described including an adjustable handle which allows, in one position of adjustment, the users hand to move from a pronated position to a supinated position and in a reverse position of inclination facilitates movement of the users hand from the pronated position to the supinated position.
It is an object of the present invention to provide arm exercise apparatus for exercising the flexor group of muscles when the handle is rotated in one direction and for exercising the extensor group of arm muscles when the handle is rotated in the opposite direction.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds.